Italian flood surges south

The rains have killed at least 25 people in Switzerland, Italy and France

Italian rescue workers are rushing to evacuate thousands of people from the path of two raging rivers as the flood crest surges down to the country's rich northern plains.

We are in a state of anxiety, of high emergency

Public works minister Nerio Nesi

People were moved from entire villages lying in the paths of the Ticino and the Po, Italy's longest river, which hit its highest level in half a century on Tuesday.

The crest on the River Po has now reached the mediaeval town of Piacenza, while the waters of the Ticino, fed by the Alps, have poured into the historic town of Pavia.

Nineteen people are confirmed dead and at least 11 are still missing from days of torrential rain, which have caused havoc across Italy's industrial heartland.

As the River Po burst its banks in places, Public Works Minister Nerio Nesi said that the situation could now become very dangerous. "We are in a state of anxiety, of high emergency," he said.

Worse weather expected

Further north, rescue teams are slowly gaining access to remote Alpine regions which had been cut off by the floods.

Troops in Piacenza try to ward off the waters of Po

But, with the weather expected to deteriorate on Wednesday, supplies were taken in by a relay of helicopter to a number of villages still stranded.

The Italian Government has announced a package of immediate aid and a state of emergency remains in force in three north-western regions of the country.

The office in Rome that is co-ordinating efforts to combat the floods says that more than 38,000 people have now been evacuated from their homes in the northern plains, part of which lie below sea level.

"Even those who were reluctant to leave their homes, like the elderly, eventually were convinced," said the Reverend Pier Luigi Rossi, one of the last people to leave a threatened riverside village.

Fiat hit

In recent days flood water has inundated areas around the cities of Turin and Milan, shutting down factories and knocking out electricity and telecommunications.

Turin has been particularly badly hit by the floods

In Turin, schools remained closed and 450,000 people were left without drinking water.

More than 170 roads have been closed, many rail services to France and Switzerland are suspended and dozens of bridges have been destroyed.

The Fiat car plant in Turin, Italy's biggest industrial complex, had to halt production at two of its largest factories as workers were stuck at home and supplies blocked.

Switzerland

Hopes for the sole survivor in Gondo have faded

In Switzerland, first hit by the torrential rain, rescuers have now given up hope of finding alive a woman buried in a mudslide as the floods tore apart her village.

One-hundred soldiers were due to arrive in the village, Gondo, on Wednesday to reinforce the teams searching for 10 people still missing.

Five people have now been confirmed dead in Switzerland and one in France as a result of the rains.